Women's single sculls competition at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing was held between August 9 and 16, at the Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park.
This rowing event is a single scull event, meaning that each boat is propelled by a single rower. The "scull" portion means that the rower uses two oars, one on each side of the boat; this contrasts with sweep rowing in which each rower has one oar and rows on only one side (not feasible for singles events!). The competition consists of multiple rounds. Finals were held to determine the placing of each boat; these finals were given letters with those nearer to the beginning of the alphabet meaning a better ranking. Semifinals were named based on which finals they fed, with each semifinal having two possible finals.
During the first round six heats were held. The top three boats in each heat advance to the quarterfinals, together with the 6 fastest of the remaining scullers, while all others are relegated to the E/F semifinals.
The quarterfinals were the second round for rowers still competing for medals. Placing in the quarterfinal heats determined which semifinal the boat would race in. The top three boats in each quarterfinal moved on to the A/B semifinals, with the bottom three boats going to the C/D semifinals.
Six semifinals were held, two each of A/B semifinals, C/D semifinals, and E/F semifinals. For each semifinal race, the top three boats moved on to the better of the two finals, while the bottom three boats went to the lesser of the two finals possible. For example, a second-place finish in an A/B semifinal would result in advancement to the A final.
The fourth and final round was the Finals. Each final determined a set of rankings. The A final determined the medals, along with the rest of the places through 6th. The B final gave rankings from 7th to 12th, the C from 13th to 18th, and so on. Thus, to win a medal rowers had to finish in the top four of their heat, top three of their quarterfinal, and top three of their A/B semifinal to reach the A final.
Schedule All times are China Standard Time (UTC+8) Date Time RoundSaturday, August 9, 2008 13:50-14:50 HeatsMonday, August 11, 2008 15:30-16:10 QuarterfinalsWednesday, August 13, 2008 14:50-15:10 Semifinals C/DWednesday, August 13, 2008 15:30-15:50 Semifinals A/BFriday, August 15, 2008 14:10-14:20 Final EFriday, August 15, 2008 14:30-14:40 Final DFriday, August 15, 2008 14:50-15:00 Final CFriday, August 15, 2008 16:50-17:00 Final BSaturday, August 16, 2008 15:30-15:40 Final A
Results
Heats Qualification Rules: 1-3->Q, 4..->Q or FE
Heat 1 RankRowerCountryTimeNotes1Zhang Xiuyun7:38.16Q2Julia Michalska7:41.16Q3Sophie Balmary7:47.37Q4Gabriela Best7:58.60Q5Soraya Jadue8:04.08Q
Heat 2 RankRowerCountryTimeNotes1Emma Twigg7:45.18 Q2Iva Obradović7:49.13Q3Nuria Domínguez7:58.03Q4Fabiana Beltrame8:08.84 Q5Lee Ka Man8:23.02Q
Heat 3 RankRowerCountryTimeNotes1Ekaterina Karsten7:40.03Q2Michelle Guerette7:49.14 Q3Sin Yeong-eun8:17.40 Q4Inga Dudchenko8:28.24Q
Heat 4 RankRowerCountryTimeNotes1Rumyana Neykova7:56.07Q2Mayra González8:07.22Q3Rika Geyser8:20.26Q4Shwe Zin Latt8:42.23Q
Heat 5 RankRowerCountryTimeNotes1Gabriella Bascelli7:43.67Q2Pippa Savage7:57.95Q3Camila Vargas8:32.06Q4Homa Hosseini9:02.12FE
Heat 6 RankRowerCountryTimeNotes1Miroslava Knapková7:51.56Q2Frida Svensson7:56.39 Q3Elana Hill8:35.53 Q4Heba Ahmed8:46.96FE
Quarterfinals Qualification Rules: 1-3->SA/B, 4..->SC/D
Quarterfinal 1 RankAthleteCountryTimeNotes1Michelle Guerette7:28.91 SA/B2Julia Michalska7:31.90 SA/B3Gabriella Bascelli7:36.68 SA/B4Nuria Domínguez7:49.60 SC/D5Inga Dudchenko8:15.88SC/D6Elana Hill8:20.84 SC/D
Quarterfinal 2 RankAthleteCountryTimeNotes1Miroslava Knapková7:30.33 SA/B2Sophie Balmary7:37.01SA/B3Iva Obradović7:39.16 SA/B4Mayra González7:45.75 SC/D5Camila Vargas8:11.79 SC/D6Shwe Zin Latt8:17.76 SC/D
Quarterfinal 3 RankAthleteCountryTimeNotes1Rumyana Neykova7:22.37 SA/B2Zhang Xiuyun7:23.30 SA/B3Pippa Savage7:34.03SA/B4Soraya Jadue7:51.52 SC/D5Fabiana Beltrame7:52.65 SC/D6Shin Yeong-eun7:58.71 SC/D
Quarterfinal 4 RankAthleteCountryTimeNotes1Ekaterina Karsten7:25.74 SA/B2Frida Svensson7:29.29 SA/B3Emma Twigg7:34.24 SA/B4Rika Geyser7:44.14 SC/D5Gabriela Best7:46.45SC/D6Lee Ka Man8:04.68 SC/D
Semifinals C/D Qualification Rules: 1-3->FC, 4-5->FD, 6..->FE
Semifinal C/D 1 RankAthleteCountryTimeNotes1Mayra González8:02.10FC2Nuria Domínguez8:03.61FC3Gabriela Best8:09.61FC4Fabiana Beltrame8:13.01FD 5Shin Yeong-eun8:23.62FD6Elana Hill8:34.27FE
Semifinal C/D 2 RankAthleteCountryTimeNotes1Rika Geyser7:59.67FC2Soraya Jadue8:13.67FC3Inga Dudchenko8:16.95FC4Camila Vargas8:22.35FD5Shwe Zin Latt8:24.23FD6Lee Ka Man8:30.80FE
Semifinals A/B Qualification Rules: 1-3->FA, 4..->FB
Semifinal A/B 1 RankAthleteCountryTimeNotes1Zhang Xiuyun7:31.33FA2Michelle Guerette7:35.69FA3Miroslava Knapková7:38.14FA4Gabriella Bascelli7:42.10FB5Pippa Savage7:43.98FB6Frida Svensson7:46.38FB
Semifinal A/B 2 RankAthleteCountryTimeNotes1Ekaterina Karsten7:32.86FA2Rumyana Neykova7:33.29FA3Julia Michalska7:38.04FA4Emma Twigg7:38.09FB5Iva Obradović7:52.39FB6Sophie Balmary7:56.73FB
Finals
Final E RankAthleteCountryTimeNotes1Lee Ka Man7:56.072Heba Ahmed8:07.103Elana Hill8:09.944Homa Hosseini8:18.20
Final D RankAthleteCountryTimeNotes1Fabiana Beltrame7:43.042Shin Yeong-eun7:48.313Shwe Zin Latt8:00.054Camila Vargas8:02.91
Final C RankAthleteCountryTimeNotes1Rika Geyser7:35.06 2Nuria Domínguez7:36.123Mayra González7:42.68 4Gabriela Best7:45.21 5Soraya Jadue7:48.356Inga Dudchenko8:16.09
Final B RankAthleteCountryTimeNotes1Frida Svensson7:48.19 2Gabriella Bascelli7:48.913Emma Twigg7:51.634Pippa Savage7:53.435Iva Obradović7:53.83 6Sophie Balmary7:58.88
Final A RankAthleteCountryTimeNotesRumyana Neykova7:22.34 Michelle Guerette7:22.78 Ekaterina Karsten7:23.98 4Zhang Xiuyun7:25.485Miroslava Knapková7:35.526Julia Michalska7:43.44
References
External links NYT Olympic Report